Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Former MLA Harshvardhan Jadhav has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking recovery of lost revenue from government-owned lands that were leased out to private institutions at nominal rents. On Monday (September 22), the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court ordered issuance of notices to the State Chief Secretary and others. The matter will come up for further hearing after three weeks.
What does the petition state?
According to the petition filed through Advocate Mayur Borse, the government treasury is facing a financial crunch, which ultimately affects the common people. Several government properties have been leased to private institutions at nominal rents. If the government recovers the rightful dues from them, maintains proper records of which properties were leased out, when, and how much rent was collected, or if the government itself develops or leases them out systematically, it can generate revenue far exceeding the state’s budget. In that case, there would be no need to impose taxes on ordinary citizens, and the funds collected could be used for developmental works.
What does the plea seek?
The petition urges the High Court to direct the government to prepare and submit a detailed report on lands leased out to private entities, including lease renewals and rent recovery. It calls for scrapping or declaring invalid Clause 9, Article 14 of the Government Resolution dated July 25, 2019, which, the plea argues, contradicts a Supreme Court ruling, and instead framing a transparent and comprehensive policy for lease renewals and arrears collection.
The petition further demands that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) or an independent committee be appointed to audit leased properties. It also seeks disciplinary action under the Land Revenue Code against revenue officials who failed to recover lease rents, did not renew leases on time, or neglected to ensure proper registration of lease agreements.